Stepping Out
by xoxoserenity
Summary: A boundary is something to be broken. When growing up, you must take baby steps into the unknown.


Of all the things out in the world, I absolutely loved the thought of being a blur in the minds of others, and I would give up a chance like this for that any day. I was not the type of girl who'd stand out in a crowd; in fact, I hated the mere thought of being one.

I wouldn't ordinarily leave my home, my shelter. I didn't like being so noticeable. The world was my enemy. But, my only friend wanted me to explore. He understood me, knew me like a book. We were total opposites, but we managed. He was bouncy, I was quiet. He loved the outdoors, I didn't.

All of that changed one day, when he decided we were going to go to Professor Rowan's lab in Sandgem Town. I couldn't tell him no; he was my best friend. We had no Pokemon, though, so getting there would be a slight challenge. Right before he pushed me into the gently swaying grass, a brown creature jumped in front of me.

"Stop!" a voice yelled from behind us. "Don't go any further!"

My friend turned around. He gasped. "It's..." A poke ball is thrown at the creature in front of me. I stared at it as it captured the creature.

"You two don't seem to have Pokemon of your own," the voice said.

"We were...were...were..."

I interrupted here. "Going to see the professor, sir."

The voice laughed. "Well, your journey is over. I am the professor."

* * *

Three hours later, my mom and Professor Rowan were sitting at the kitchen table, talking, while my friend and I were in my room, watching my brand new T.V.

"Marina?" he asked.

"What, Gabriel?" I replied, sighing.

He shrugged. "I think we're in trouble."

I said nothing in return. After all, if either one of us was going to get punished, it would be me. The levelheaded one. The one who normally wouldn't fall for such a fallible plan. The one who loved her life in Jubilife City, and didn't want it to be destroyed.

I thought to myself how one little thing can cascade into many other things. How being friends with a very athletic boy when you yourself are a bit of a recluse. How daring to conform makes you all so more susceptible to being picked out. How living in a world with Pokemon while trying to stay away from them only works in your mind.

"Come down here!" my mom called. We followed her order, and saw that both her and Professor Rowan were looking at us expectantly. Rowan was a tall man, with auburn hair that jutted out in different directions, but it showed his age, as it had streaks of white. My mom was small compared to him, but her unnaturally pink hair made her just as vibrant.

Gabriel pushed his glasses from the tip of his nose back to the bridge. I put my focus on the ground, not on the adults like he was. "Mom, I can---"

"No need, Marina. Rowan has a job for you two."

The professor nodded and pulled a device out of his pocket. "I'd like to train you two to be assistants in the study of Pokemon. The field is always expanding, and I won't be young forever. In fact, most of us researchers aren't young. There need to be people to replace us, one day."

I sighed and continued looking at the ground. Gabriel, however, ran over to Rowan. "I'll do it, sir!" he shouted excitedly. "Learning about Pokemon has always been a dream of mine."

"Then take this Pokedex. Oh, and you'll need to show me the way to your house. I need to tell your parents about this, so you can come to Sandgem with me and get yourself a Pokemon." The professor chuckled. "Plus, you need to calm down just a little bit."

"Right on it, sir!"

Someone touched my back. It was Rowan. He had stepped closer to me, and when I looked up, he whispered in my ear. "I have a special job for you, okay? I promise it won't be that hard." I shook my head no. "All you have to do is travel to Kanto with me one day. That's all."

* * *

I'm not sure why I accepted that job from the professor all those years ago. After I lost Gabriel to him, I guess I had no choice. I remember my mom's face from the day I finally set foot out into the tall grass, a sack on my back and Rowan by my side. I haven't been home in years. I work with Professor Oak in Pallet Town, Kanto. He tells me about his grandson, and all the people he's helped.

Whenever I mention my past life, he gets a wistful look on his face, as if he's trying to remember something. But I don't care if he ever tells me, because his tale probably isn't as good as mine.

Then, one day, I got a letter, with a return address in Sandgem Town. When I read it, I began to cry. It was from Gabriel, my best friend. He told me about all the work he had done, about Rowan, and about his family. His son was following in his footsteps, but he mentioned that he wished they were mine. "You're my inspiration, Marina," he wrote at the bottom. "You inspired me, Professor Rowan, your mother, and every single person who starts their journey to become a Trainer."

After reading that line, I wiped my eyes. But there was still more. "If you ever get sent back here, come stop by the Lab. I'd love to see how much you've grown. And to think that, just the other day, I met these two kids that reminded me, oddly enough, of us. But their job is traveling around to find the Pokemon. Ours is to study them, yet we all..."

The message cut off, but I knew what he was going to put. _Step into unfamiliar territory. Yes, Gabriel. Yes we do._

* * *

A/N: ...And there ends my first Pokemon fic. It's video game-universe, so that's why it's "original" characters. Okay, "Gabriel" is real, but the other chick, "Marina," isn't. I hope you loved it. Can you tell me, please? I actually like writing Pokemon stories, even if I don't own the stuff. -nod-

Siggy


End file.
